#YWPWeek wraps up; Meet the New Face of Manufacturing Carries on the Message

Did you follow the excitement at Woodworking Network this week? It was Young Woodworking Professionals week, and five incredibly talented and driven individuals were featured with special Q&A posts and Profiles. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the YWPWeek Q&A’s:

• “One of the biggest challenges I faced, as silly as it sounds now, was gracefully accepting input from others. I wasted so much time trying to make all of the decisions myself and it wasn’t good for anybody.” – Phil Bowers, Advanced Cabinet Systems
• “(Young woodworking professionals) should avoid taking their dynamic for granted, being complacent and taking the easy path.”- Adam Schneider, ConceptWorks
• “(Young woodworkers should avoid) trying to do it all on their own. You can still be an individual and have your own style if you ask for help.” – Ethan Abramson, Ethan Abramson
• “The main reason I’m where I’m at now is because of the people who have helped me along the way…Everyone I’ve worked with brings a different skill set to the table. That’s the best part about the collaboration process.” – Brian Grabski, Designed & Made
• “If you just starting out as a woodworker or looking to make it more of a business, I would say: don’t turn down any job. It will force you to learn and be in situations where you have to learn.” – Kyle Toth, Wood by Kyle Toth

There is plenty more great content, if you haven’t followed the series yet, go check it out! They are also running a contest for the Young Professional of the Year award; individuals who posted images of their work to Twitter with #YWPWeek by September 9 are entered for the title.

Speaking of Kyle Toth (one of the young professionals referenced above), he is also featured in the “Meet the New Face of Manufacturing” poster that we (AWFS) just published! The poster is FREE and the purpose, like #YWPWeek, is to promote young woodworking professionals and careers in the industry. We want students, teachers, parents, school administrators, legislators…everyone to know that there are great opportunities in our industry! Can you help us spread the word? You can receive FREE posters to display and share. Contact nancy@awfs.org to request yours (include your mailing address and poster quantity).